Tales of an Arc
by Regent Septimus
Summary: The Arc's are legendary, monster hunters whose every generation have their names known to the world of Remnant. Jaune Arc wants to uphold the legacy of his family but nobody even knows of him yet. Watch as Jaune leaves on what may be the greatest quest even his bloodline has ever seen. Alongside new friends and the spirit of his ancestors, watch Jaune forge his name upon the world.
1. Prologue - the beginning of a legend

**DISCLAIMER**

**RWBY is the work of Oum and all characters belong to him as well as the company of RoosterTeeth itself**

**The image for this fanfiction does not belong to me, props to the creator for an amazing work of art however**

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"And so..." the young man placed his drink down upon the polished oak of the bar, reaffirming his seating on the leather stool he sat upon as he turned to level his ocean-blue gaze upon the beauty to his right, "...I slayed the beast, cut off it's head and purged the body in holy fire!" he said, then letting loose a small laugh before bringing the chalice to his lips and taking a hearty swig of the bitter drink before slamming it down and wiping his maw with the back of his sleeve, arm moved to reveal a grin behind it, "So how was that?" he asked, clearing his throat before taking a small breath to calm himself after the tale he had so expertly told, then pulling on his coat, one which covered the large majority of his being, leaving what was under there entirely to the imagination.

"That..." the small voice came from his companion, dressed in gothic style garb; all in one black battle skirt with black corset, black leggings and black boots along with a black hairstyle to top it off. Of course, then you would have to factor in all of the red added to the equation! Red lace, red soles, red frills, red tips in her hair and most noticeably... "...that was so awesome!" red cheeks...

Wait, no...! Red hood! Red cheeks too though... blush is the word for it.

The male chuckled at the smaller girl and slid a glass over to her, "On me, you like sweet stuff, right?" he asked, to which the other fervently nodded, hood covering her entire upper face spare for a few strands of hair that were visible, "Then you should love this" he said with a chuckle, watching the girl experimentally pick up the beverage and sniff it cautiously before gasping silently and downing the entire thing in one.

"It's amazing!" she cried, to which a number of others turned around to before sighing and returning to their drinks, "What is it mister!?" she asked, and despite the hood covering her eyes, he felt compelled to tell her anyway. He could practically sense the puppy dog eyes concealed beneath that crimson hood of hers...

"I-it's just strawberry and cherry! Really!" he assured, "It was red like your hood, and you said you like sweet stuff so..." he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "I thought you'd like it..." he swallowed nervously, Jesus did that sound lame...

"Aawwww!" he turned to see the most beautiful silver eyes he would ever come to see, fitted on an adorable rounded face with a small quirky smile that just made him want to eat her up! But then he would be hunted by other monster hunters... a-anyway, "Thank you so much mister...?" she asked, a hand overlapping his on the bar as she looked up at him with imploring, glittery eyes.

The man grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his hood, pulling it down to reveal sunshine, golden hair that just worked perfectly with the harmony of his ocean blue eyes, "I'm Arc" he said simply before realising his mistake, "A-ah! Jaune! Jaune Arc!" he corrected, "I'm... not just Arc..." he managed, laughing nervously, though it only increased as he felt the girls fingers start to dance around his, fitting between the cracks between them and intertwining a few, "Um..."

"Nice to meet you Jaune..." the girls eyes widened and her hand stopped playing around his, instead gripping it tightly as she leant in closer with surprise written on her face, "You're an Arc?!" she cried, now gathering undivided attention from the bar as all conversation halted in order to turn to the fabled Arc, surprisingly with Little Red Riding Hood almost touching lips with his, their noses hovering but a millimetre away from each other.

Jaune blinked and fell into a sweat, "A-ah..." he gulped audibly and leant back on his stool to retreat from the girl, only for her to mimic his every movement, staying in his immediate proximity at all times, "I..." he shrugged unconvincingly, "...may be an Arc...?" he surmounted, the entire population of the room looking at him with confusion etched across their faces.

"Only may be?" came from the crowd, a mane of golden now made known from amongst the others as a blonde bombshell stepped forward, dressed in mostly leather; leather jacket, leather shorts, leather boots, though understandably with a figure like hers, Jaune wouldn't be opposed to... stopping the trail of thought right there... other than that, she had some additions thrown here and there; a ribbon around one thigh and thigh-length socks on either leg, one stopping just above one of her knee boots. She had a yellow tank top that matched her gorgeous mane beneath her jacket, which ended at her waist to bare her perfectly toned midriff and at her bust with her top not long after to reveal part of her impressive chest, topped off with the orange of the scarf wrapped around her neck. Though her chest was clearly something that she flaunted as much as her rear if the way she took her strides was any implication, though still, she didn't seem like an easy girl in Jaune's eyes, and an Arc's eyes and intuition never failed them, "An Arc is serious business, don't play around with the name unless you are one!" she said with fiery resolve, "And don't just use it as a way to pick up my baby sister!" she warned, bringing her fists up in a stance to reveal the golden gauntlets adorning them as well as the black fingerless gloves beneath them, though the former was clearly the more intimidating of the two.

"H-hang on there...!" Jaune cried, fumbling away from his stool, closely followed by the redhead who eagerly tried to once more invade his personal space, "I didn't lie or anything! I just...!" he pursed his lips and looked aside slightly, "I... don't want everybody to treat me differently because I'm an Arc..." he supplied, looking away as to attempt to conceal his nervous nature.

The blonde vixen cocked an eyebrow but thankfully dropped her guard, taking flaunting steps forward until she was next to what was somehow her baby sister. Jaune didn't see the resemblance...

"So you're an Arc still?" she looked unimpressed, "I think you're just covering your tracks, Arc's are supposed to be legendary monster and Grimm hunters, you on the other hand..." she let the sentence hang but the underlying insult was still there and it kind of stung Jaune to hear it.

"I know I don't seem it..." he said, hair covering his eyes, then his hood as he pulled it down over his face, "...but I am an Arc, not the legend that my ancestors were but I will be" he looked up with eyes full of resolve and determination, "This I do solemnly swear!" he grit out, his aura now surrounding the room in an angelic white, surprising all who were fortunate enough to see the heavenly sight, white flames licking at their skin and leaving naught but a comforting warmth.

"Hm..." the blonde vixen had a smirk on her face, "You swear, huh?" she flicked her hair up, a beautiful sight as the golden locks licked at the air like flames in a draft, "Then I challenge you!" the young lady pointed a gloved hand forward, index finger outstretched in challenge, a cocky smirk on her face, "I'll pummel you down and show you that I won't even consider that you're an Arc unless you can keep up with me; Yang Xiao Long!" she declared, bringing a hand to her impressive bust as she announced herself, eyes widening in surprise of her proclamation.

Yang Xiao Long, a worthy huntress who had been going around doing odd jobs throughout the realm, some more extravagant than others but doing all to brutal efficiency, though it was still to say that she hadn't yet taken on anything above a B class, and she had only done very few of them, the higher ranked missions left to the more accomplished hunters. Say, the Arc's...

"Fine!" the strong and determined voice surprised the blonde, eyes widening at the resolve he now showed, entirely different to what she had seen but moments ago with her sister, of whom was still admiring the boy, did she not think his proclamations were fishy?! He didn't seem like an Arc so why was she accepting him so easily!?

Jaune grabbed his drink and downed the rest of it before slamming it down and rolling his shoulders, eyes narrowed and on her, "I will prove my name to you" he sai-no, promised her, turning and leaving the building, all following his silent command, the fight was happening outside, the collateral was potentially going to be high if this was the case...

Yang cracked her knuckles and bounced about on her feet as she got into a boxing stance, cracking her neck aside but keeping a fiery gaze on the boy before her, "Come at me rag boy" she said, referring to the dirty brown coat he wore, though she didn't expect the smirk she got in return

"Gladly, was getting warm anyway..." he said, grabbing the front and tearing it from his body before throwing it aside, and what was left for all to see was clearly not what her and the others had expected; blonde locks that fit his sharp features perfectly, ocean blue eyes as unrelenting as the ocean itself.

He rolled his shoulders and brought his arms to his sides, giving her a perfect view of the black, tight-fitting armour covering his torso, lightweight but still protective if the clear etchings of his muscled abdomen was any indication, though the real protection came from the white plate guards on his chest, spine, shoulders and forearms as well as the plated gloves. His lower body was clothed in more form-fitting plates, thigh guards wrapping around his legs along with kneepads and shin-high boots, all over brown trousers covered in buckles and pouches secreting numerous different contraptions and devices, a buckle with the proud Arc symbol bared for all to see upon his belt buckle, "Alright..." he said, eyes as undeterring as before as he grabbed the sword and sheath from his waist before planting them firmly into the earth at his side, bringing his fists up instead as a guard, "...lets play your way" he challenged with an uncharacteristically cocky smirk, earning a growl from his foe and the hearts of numerous young girls watching the display of the handsome young ruffian.

"I'll pummel you!" Yang said as she bashed her fists together before shooting forward, flames dancing in her wake. She threw her right hand forward from her lunge, aiming right for his jaw at impressive speeds, though surprise didn't cover what she felt when he moved his head aside to laxly avoid the soaring fist before spinning and inserting his elbow into her abdomen, knocking the wind from her lungs before he brought his foot to the same spot to push her back several feet, angering the girl furthermore as he played with her, her hair starting to hover as it took on the simulation of flames, the ground following the same pattern, fire licking at the earth beneath them, "You are so dead" she said with a glare, previously violet eyes now a violent red.

Jaune kicked some dust about with the toes of his boots, "Really? I don't feel it" he quipped, smirk playing on his lips as he began to move on the spot, apparent warm-ups as he awaited the infuriated girl.

Yang let loose a frustrated growl, "You're a little cocky for that wuss you were back in the bar" she scoffed, flicking her hair aside and over her shoulder with the back of her hand, eyes still a dangerous red as she leered at her foe, of whom was still smirking at her every word.

"Cocky?" he shrugged, "I'll leave that judgement to you" he returned, sending a wink her way, earning a growl from the bombshell, a light pink dusting the edges of her cheeks at his dirty quip, "Now are you coming at me or...?" he left with a shrug and shake of his head, building her ire up to bursting, sending her into a rage as she exploded forward, fire in the wake of every movement she made and heat rising up all around her, as if her touch alone would burn him to ashes.

"I hope you're hungry!" she cried as she sent a fist forward, aimed right for his kisser at speeds that would leave others seeing naught but a blur, followed by the incomprehensible movements of the bombshells opponent, a blur dancing around the other as the two melded together in a flurry of movements that all parties struggled to catch even a glimpse of, though it was clear what was happening; an Arc was at work, and not a single strike had been landed since the little skirmish had sparked into full ignition between the two.

Yang Xiao Long threw her blazing fists at speeds that few could match and was flexible and acrobatic enough to remain as unpredictable and dangerous as possible to any opponent, her movements so unusual or difficult that it would be nigh-impossible to understand them, let alone catch or avoid them as the blonde Arc was, with gusto too as his sly smirk remained on his face for all those who could follow the movements to see, namely a red-hooded young huntress and the long-haired male adolescent leant against the wall of the bar they had previously occupied, dressed in green and white with intricate weavings of golden dragons throughout his ornate but practical attire, hair tied in a ponytail with a startling streak of pink upon the left side of his mane. His concentrating and narrowed eyes held a piercing but wizened magenta hue to the irises, locked on to the unknown blonde fighter who claimed himself an Arc, one of the Arc's of legends...

He was amazing in combat to say the least, so amazing that the Easterners lips tipped at the edges into a small smirk, he would be interesting, surely.

"Stay still... you... coward!" Yang huffed, her unorthodox fighting technique clearly taxing her body immensely as much as she refused to believe it, throwing punches at a fraction of what she was before, making the already useless assault basically non-existent, the Arc flourishing around every attack yet never sending one of his own back at her, "Stay still!" she cried, stopping to gather her breath, surprised to look up to see her opponent stood still with legs spread and arms opened wide

"Alright, next punch is yours" he said with a smirk, "Your movements are amazing, if your opponent wasn't me then I'm sure you could manage to give anybody a run for their money" he grinned widely, somewhat tarnishing the bombshells pride with how much he seemed to underestimate her, patronising Yang Xiao Long!

She took a step forward to him, her breathing still laboured and was surprised to find that she had stopped at the sight of the hunter holding a hand up to signal her cease in advance, maybe something to do with her exhaustion. C-couldn't be anything else right...?

"I don't want to feel the sloppy strike of a drunken brawler" he said simply, already firing Yang up at that, "No, I want to feel the full force of the beautiful blonde bombshell huntress" he smiled widely and crossed his arms in challenge, "Yang Xiao Long" he uttered with confidence simply oozing from his very being, his passion bringing a light dusting of red to the brawlers cheeks, though she ignored it in favour of mentally reading the situation for once...

So, her opponent was offering her a free hit, she shouldn't go for it because it would be a trap right? No, surely he couldn't - another blush licked at her face - his passion and determination was amazing, moving even. She shook her head, he could play dirty and counter at the last second but... for some reason it felt as if he were pushing her past her boundaries, the way he played her was all a part of a master scheme that none could see beyond an Arc.

Jaune smirked and clicked his tongue, "Come on! I'm waiting!" he shouted playfully, earning an unconvincing growl from Yang. If he wanted her full power then he would get it...

She slid her heel across the gravel floor and brought her right foot behind herself, her left forward and bent at the knee for support. Her left arm was barely gracing the earth to counterbalance the fist of a right hand that she had drawn back and ready to strike, her breath collected and her focus gathered, eyes changing from their usual, enchanting lilac to a focussed and cautionary red, "Give me your best shot!" was all she heard before she launched off at speeds besting any she had ever experienced, an unfamiliar but welcomed strength fuelling her as she approached her static opponent, gaining ground with every instant, not earning even the smallest flinch as her fist sailed forward, not even a blink from his firm and unwavering gaze.

The crowd watched the confrontation hit its peak and the loud bang that permeating across for what must have been miles as the fist hit home, and what everybody saw was what none had expected.

Though... after some rational thought, it made more sense than any conclusion that they had thought up...

Of course, with how unmoving Jaune had been and how stoic and determined his stance was, welcoming the attack as if it were a long-awaited friend, people had inevitably clicked in to the factor of the Arc being invincible; some thinking that he would dodge and counter attack last second as all were sure he could've done, what with the movement and reaction time he had shown throughout the entire bout. The rest thought that he must have had an impressive aura to bolster his defences from even an attack with force that must've equalled if not bested a speeding freight train.

Of course, what actually happened surprised even Yang, who blinked owlishly at the destruction before her; she had just managed to punch the immovable opponent that was just before her through a solid stone wall and then some, totalling the side of the bar, though this was of no concern to the onlookers, a strangled yelp coming from the red riding hood as she watched whom had quickly become a role-model to her be knocked hard enough to have at least have him incapacitated if not have put him a comatose state.

The Easterner pushed up from the wall and quickly ran towards the scene, panic stricken as he made way before it was too late, surely he could do something with the medical knowledge he had acquired over the years!

Of course however, the blonde brawler was the most affected by this... she had heavily injured if not killed a man with her unrestrained anger, throwing caution to the wind and putting all force into ending a mans life. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, he had brought out a power in her she had never even known she could muster and in return she had-

"Now _that_ was a punch!"

All thought trains ended when the entire crowd turned to their gazes to the boy now sitting up, knocking the rubble he had previously been buried in aside as if he had just been having a nice nap or something of the sort, "That must've equalled the force of the Valkyrie, and she hits hard!" he shouted with a wide grin and a good hearted laugh, not sensing the confusion and worry that spread around the crowd, only noticing the Easterner of whom had stopped just shy to his right

"Valkyrie..." the boy muttered quietly, barely audible at all. Needless to say, this confused the hunter, he had sounded as if he were terrified of the concept of the name, and of course it would be understandable had he met the girl, it just so happened that very few were lucky or unlucky enough to have come into contact, so this made the newcomer an immediate interest to the Arc boy, "You said Valkyrie..." he repeated, earning a nod from Jaune as he stood up and dusted himself off, not noticing the ecstatic Ruby who waved about for his attention nor the deadpanned Yang across from him, still stood stock still in the exact position she had struck him with, her brain failing her and incapable of providing her with the capacity to move as she watched the ensuing transpire

"I did yes" Jaune said simply, earning a dumb nod from Magenta boy, something that made Jaune chuckle, "I'm assuming you've met?" he asked rhetorically, still earning a nod however before-

"HEY!"

Jaune quickly turned to Yang her brain back to usual functionality but still failing to understand the concept of what had just now occurred. Jaune didn't get what was up either and so simply sent her a mute shrug in question, earning a distinctive growl from the blonde

"How are you so fine after being it like that!? Let alone through a damned brick wall!" she waved her arms about in confusion, "A brick wall! What are you made of?" she asked, "I thought you could take it with the way you were acting!" she admitted, sheepishly rubbing the tips of her boots together at that little admittance

Jaune smiled fondly at that, "I just wanted to see what I was dealing with and see if I couldn't improve your technique or power some" he supplied with a friendly grin, one that would warm the hearts of all who gazed upon it, "You don't know what you're dealing with until it's hit you full power through a wall as papa Arc always used to say!" he said in a joking tone before sighing, "He actually used to say that by the way..." he admitted abashedly.

Yang blinked, more than a few times as she just tried to understand this... this anomaly that was before her. Who lets somebody just punch them through a god damned wall like that?!

Jaune saw the look on her face and decided to leave one speechless person to aid the other, turning to the Easterner and startling him with the hand he put on his shoulder, strange considering he was in the others vision the whole time.

Ah, the boy must've met the Valkyrie since he has all of that fear and helplessness in his now foggy eyes as he mulled over the repressed memories of the redhead that had come soaring back into his head until they marred his vision with image of his own pain-inflicted form at the hands of that blight of a huntress.

Shame she was so damn good at being one...

(Ren's thoughts, not Jaune's ^^)

"You there buddy?" Jaune called, waving his hand idly before the others face, shaking him gently with the hand upon his shoulder, finally managing to bring the boy back to reality as his startling eyes levelled upon the ocean blue of Jaune's and they seemed to almost sparkle in remembrance.

"You!" the foreigner cried, putting his hands in a death grip on either of Jaune's arms, "You are one I am destined to make my companion!" he cried, and Jaune had to fight down the unwelcomed urge to blush at that, as well as block out the squeak that emerged from Ruby to his hind at the proclamation.

Jaune wet his lips and went to speak before closing his mouth once more in thought, finally sorting his thoughts out and steadily putting them into play, "...Um, c-could you repeat that please?" he asked politely but unsurely, kind of afraid of what the man had intended to say.

The easterner blinked before removing his arms from the Arc knight and moving back so quickly it seemed to Jaune as if he had used blink considering even he hadn't seen the movements.

He cleared his throat and reaffirmed the thinly rimmed spectacles upon the bridge of his nose that Jaune was only now just noticing, "Ahem, my name is Lie Ren, and I have departed on a quest of vast importance" he explained, instantly capturing the Arc's attention as well as pulling Yang out of her reverie.

"I have been informed of a coming darkness - unstoppable by any means beyond a team of only the best of the best" he went on, an ever-growing smile slowly becoming a grin upon the blonde boys features. Ren noticed this and allowed himself a small smile as he went on giving the summary, "You are the second Hunter that I have found worthy of holding any ground in such a team, the other you shall meet in time should you agree to join me upon my quest" he finished, eyes stoic and levelled stonily upon the knight.

Well, not quite stonily.

Jaune was always a great judge of emotion and he knew that he could see a spark of hope within the eyes of the Easterner, and who was he to deny him that?

"I'll do it" he said with a smile, holding his armoured hand out for Ren to take, which he did, and with a growing smirk as they looked deep into each others dazzling, stony eyes, amethyst seeping into sapphire and vice-versa, "I was wondering what I was going to do today, seems I'm off to save the world" he joked, to which the Easterner chuckled softly

"The other said something along those lines, I'd see if you knew his name but he admittedly never gave it to me" he admits as they both withdraw their hands, seemingly ignoring the still watching crowd that observed the creation of legends.

Jaune pursed his lips, "So how did you manage to acquire him?" he wondered, not too pleased by the downtrodden look on the others face, his eyes sullen

"He tried to mug me for everything I had..." he managed to explain before sighing, "...he's a weasel, I'll warn you of that but I'll also guarantee his efficiency in battle and that he will be a trustworthy asset and companion albeit a little unorthodox and conniving" he explained, apparently having seen in this character what he had seen in Jaune; amazing ability as well as the potential for becoming a legend.

Jaune nodded and followed Ren as he turned to head away, "So what's he like?" he wondered. Jaune knew a lot of people throughout Remnant from his travels but this one sounded new and unusual, thus his interest was piqued.

Ren looked thoughtful before clicking his fingers, "He wears mostly grey and black attire" he started, recounting his thoughts, "He also fight using only his..." Ren stopped and turned around before sighing, "...your new friends are following us..." he noted idly before sending a smirk to the Arc, "Your fanbase grows Arc, so much for not being known by your last name" he joked to the blonde's ire

"Yeah well at least I'm not shit scared of the Valkyrie" he whispered knowingly, startling and numbing the Lotus before heading over to the not-so-subtly following tag-alongs

"Ruby, Yang?" he started as they sheepishly stepped out from behind their awful coverage behind a rock too small to conceal either of them let alone both, "What are you doing here?" he questioned skeptically, to which Ruby shuffled her feet nervously and Yang shrugged nonchalantly

"Shits and giggles" she said bluntly, causing Jaune to laugh and head back off to the recovering Easterner who was glaring daggers at the blonde

"They're coming with" he said simply, surprisingly getting no argument from Ren

"Fine, the more the merrier I suppose" he said as they began to leave the sisters in their wake.

"Yang?" Ruby started

"Hm?"

"Should we... you know, catch up with them?"

Yang looked back to the boys and they had covered a surprising amount of ground already

"Hm... yeah that would be good" Yang said before Ruby bolted off with her semblance, Yang sent spiralling from the unexpected usage before finally reaffirming her stance and growling as she chased after her kid sister.

"Grrr... get back here now Rubes!" she shouted as the four of them made their way over to the horizon to where next their adventures may continue.

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**And done, okay so RWBY has been on my mind for a while so I just had to get something out for it, admittedly this was done over two months ago save for 500 of it's 5,000 words but I've been preoccupied and ill lately so don't skewer me...**

**For my loyal fans who enjoy my Rosario+Vampire story, I have heard your pleas and am now back to continue writing my fics! The chapter shall be done by the end of this week with another coming not too long after, expect Kiria to show his beyond-badass side for I intend to show it.**

**Anyway, remember to follow or favourite if you liked it and review if you have any ideas for the story or see something that needs tweaking. Hell, just review to show your support if you wish, just know that all authors love nothing more than hearing of how their work is appreciated. :)**

**Anyway, hould update this within the month since I'll be busy with my other fic first, after that I'll see considering college is due for hand-in's soon but I'll try my best!**

**Au Revoir for now readers! ^^**


	2. Chapter 1 - On the Run

"Get the fuck outta here trash!"

_God I wish he wouldn't scream in my face like that..._

"You're done here, can't pay yer tab then we get you gone"

_Smells like fucking fish... _

"But we could do with that pretty boy charm around yer neck, hehe..."

_Fish he threw up the night before..._

"Ya hear me Grey?"

_And then decided to shit on afterwards..._

"Hand it over!"

_Alright that's fucking enough!_

"Come on dipsh-"

of course, the rest of the sentence was left to fall to the wind as the speaker had his teeth kicked through his skull, flying back from the incredible force before destroying the bar along with a decent portion of the alcohol display.

The henchman surrounding him gulped as they slowly turned back to the apparently-violent customer they were previously going to 'deal with', now coming upon the realisation of what a mess they'd thrown themselves into.

The enigmatic young man stroked a hand through his steely grey locks and gave them the most cocky smirk they'd ever have the chance to see; and not just because it was going to be one of the last things they'd see either...

"The necklace is mine" he said simply as he withdrew his outstretched leg back to its position parallel the other, "I wanted to stretch my legs and brawl a little with some scumbags like you considering you can't call the cops on me because of your..." he scoffed, "...slightly less than legal dealings..." the men winced at that; this guy was going to kick shit through them and they could literally do nothing to stop him...

"Or you could leave and we won't have to call in the Beast" came the deep, powerful voice of Hei Xiong, owner of this bar along with many others, "I have some favours yet to cash in, and I'd rather you didn't keep taking money from my wallet with these damages Merc..." he grimaced as he looked over to the previously expensive, destroyed display behind the bar.

"Junior?" the stranger seemed surprised by the presence of the seemingly omniscient benefactor of the underground around these parts, a powerful member of a powerful group to say the least; you mess with him, you're either extremely bold or an idiot, "I thought you were up at Abode on Wednesday's?"

Junior shook his head with a disappointed sigh, refusing the urge to associate his palm with his face, "I am, but it's Friday and I spend Friday's here at Sanctuary you moron..." he clarified, to which the grey clad young man blinked, then making an 'o' shape with his mouth at the revelation

"Man, I'm usually only one day off.." he laughed at this before speeding up to Junior, the much heavier built man's eyes following him as he did, "Must be having an off day" he said before sending his foot soaring into the larger mans bicep, disappointed at the obstacle defending the gut he was aiming for. He then leapt back quickly to avoid any retaliation the man could dish out

"Your stupidity never fails to amaze me" Hei said exasperatedly as he nursed his aching bicep, feeling how close it had been to snapping from just the pressure of the one kick, "You know you keep this up and you're going to be making the biggest mistake since attacking Torchwick" he said with a knowing smirk, watching the false wince from the other at the memory

"You hurt me Junior, you hurt me deep..." he said before shrugging nonchalantly, "Of course my best way of getting over stuff like this is by kicking your balls through your throat" he said with a devious grin, Junior actually gulping at the idea, knowing that as strong as he was, he couldn't take Mercury Black. Hell, the whole reason he was trying to talk him down was because he knew just as such...

"Mercury, can you please just leave peace-"

WHAM!

Mercury withdrew his foot from between the tank of a man's legs, his eyes never leaving his even as they nearly shot right out of his skull from the impact, Mercury tried to make another snide comment to follow but instead had to hide his ears from what could only be described as the most pained, high-pitched squeal he would ever hear.

THUD

Mercury almost felt sorry for the man as he landed on his face like a dumbass...

Of course then he remembered that girly scream and that this was bloody hilarious...

* * *

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade; home to every book under the-" Tukson arched a brow for a moment before smiling softly and getting back to what he had been reading prior, right besides the counter, "Oh, welcome back Ren" he said in a tone that made known his familiarity with the eastern boy

"Good to see you Tukson" Ren said with a fond smile that his blonde companion had learnt you rarely saw from him, "Did you manage to get a hold of one of the obscure remaining copies of 'Mad King Ryan'?" he asked with a knowing smile, to which Tukson gently batted him on the head with the book he had been reading a moment before

"'Home to every book under the Sun'" he recited with a smirk, then handing him the very same book, giving Ren a view of the tattered but grand cover as well as what looked to Jaune like a maniacal king with a cleaved crown and what looked like... is that a cow..?

"Didn't have it last week" Ren quipped as he started to skim through the book interestedly

"Wasn't under the Sun last week" was his reply, "This thing was found the other day in a time capsule older than Monty knows who..." he sighed but gave a confident smile, "That one cost me a pretty penny so it won't be for sale; count yourself lucky I even let you touch it" he chuckled

"Count _yourself _lucky that I 'donated' Eastern scriptures so rare that even the current emperor had them beyond his grasp" he replied, "It's a good thing that we both know that the knowledge you have concealed here is far more valuable than what even the Schnee family could afford me" he said with a knowing smile, earning a smirk from Tukson and a look as bewildered as any other he had made since their arrival from Jaune

"I don't get it..." he started intelligently, to which Tukson finally took notice of him

"Who's the Knight, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood?" he asked with a small, friendly smile, one that made Jaune smile in return

"He seems nice" Jaune whispered to Yang behind his hand, getting a silent nod in return as the girl kept her eyes fixated on those incredible sideburns of his.

Ren blinked and bridged his reading glasses further along his nose as he turned to make introductions, "My apologies; the 'Rapunzel' and 'Little Red Riding Hood' as you so put them are-"

"I'm Yang and this is my adorable little sis Ruby!" Yang declared proudly, earning a chuckle from the Faunus and an awkward and embarrassed groan from the young huntress

"Pleasure to meet you both" he said with a nod before tilting his head at the other, as if he saw something about him from just the glance, "Who're you?" he asked a little skeptically.

He had good reason to do so to be fair, the last person with an aura of obscurity about them like this was not only a mischievous hooligan - if you wanted to refrain from saying thief and criminal, but also infuriatingly smug. Tukson huffed at the memory, of course he didn't have The Third Crusade, that books remaining copies' whereabouts were uncertain to say the least. They weren't even sure they still existed so technically his store's motto should still slide here... right...?

"O-oh..." Tukson realised that he had asked a question and turned to smile apologetically at the young man as he began to introduce himself. Though, he was clearly nervous; was this Tukson's fault for being distracted after speaking to him?! He clutched his head and began to inwardly panic; he was the source of awkwardness and panic within a young man because he had been so rude to him after asking for his name! The boy was going to think he was rude and uncouth, not only did that make him a bad person but the store's credibility would plummet from his ignorance and-

"Tukson!" Ren shouted into his ear, startling the man from his self-destructive thought process, "You're spiralling into your thoughts again..." he sighed, making Jaune and the girls laugh at the little scene before them.

"O-oh..." Tukson echoed not unlike Jaune had before, then realising it himself and laughing along with the others before stopping suddenly, "So who are you then?" he asked curiously, still holding suspicion over whether he would turn out to be like the last...

"Oh yeah! Sorry I'm Jau..." he held his note as he thought intensely for a cover, "Jau... Ne... Arc... Jaw Nark!" he shouted triumphantly as Ren occupied his face with the nearest solid oak bookshelf, harming the poor thing far more than he had himself

"Jaw Nark...?" Tukson asked hesitantly, looking to Ren for confirmation and being startled by the slowly aura-mending broken nose of the Easterner from its intimate rendezvous with store furniture.

Ren inhaled and exhaled calmly, turning to Jaune who had the most hopeful look in his eyes before turning back to Tukson who looked frightened for the magenta-eyed boys sanity if not his life.

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose fiercely. He wouldn't feel right going along with a story like this; he could feel his brain cells committing suicide right now just at the concept of the idea...

"His names Jaune, he's from the Arc family..." he informed bluntly, trying his damnedest to ignore the look of absolute betrayal on Jaune's face as he silently wept into Ruby's hood to the girls horror.

Tukson blinked at that, "Arc? So when I hear Arc I think of the legendary Arc family who spearheaded the original attack on keeping Grimmkind away from human population in the entirety of Vale, and succeeded with frightening results" he turned to Ren and sighed, "Have you just brought the newest link in that family chain into my store?" he asked, feeling an excited smile come upon his face once he received a blunt nod in response

"Yeah, I just don't want people thinking I'm just another Arc and not my own person though..." Jaune mumbled sheepishly, to which Tukson smirked, nodding his head in thought before walking forward and clamping his hand firmly on the boys shoulder

"I offer you a proposal" he said with a confident grin, one that Ren had rarely seen on the kindly man, "You sign me this copy of 'Arc, Symphony of Peace' and I place it on the high-value display case" he lifted up a hardback book kept in a white leather case with the very Arc family symbol plastered upon the cover, strapped shut with a shiny golden iron buckle, "The challenge is that you, Ren and... the other one..." he grimaced, "Plus any others you might pick up-" he nodded with a sly smirk to the two girls behind Jaune, both looking away nonchalantly when he did, "-all tell me of your ventures and I write them down in an epic of my own, documenting the uprising of what _you _are, and not what your family is" Jaune's eyes widened as Tukson smiled kindly, "When the day comes from that singular books completion when it becomes more valuable than the Arc-signed copy of their history; only then will I place it in the display case next to your family's, and only then will you be more renowned as someone beyond just an Arc, somebody who is known for what _he_ did and not just what he is" he said, then offering his hand out with a black marker and the other holding the Arc book, "Do we have a deal Mister Nark?" he laughed.

Tukson's store had gained a lot of interest the next following days; rumours spread, and it was never before heard of to see an actual Arc-signed copy of their history. Needless to say, Jaune had taken on the challenge, and he intended to succeed in triumphing over it.

* * *

"I swear..." Mercury scoffed as he turned about to see the approaching being after having made his mostly clean getaway. Few emasculated men here and there... and everywhere but still, no stalkers.

Well, mostly at least...

"Shouldn't swear; it's unprofessional" came the refined and suave voice that Mercury had come to hate as well as one of few that could actually keep the boy in place for more than five minutes.

"..."

"..."

"Fuck, it's you..." Mercury deadpanned with a sigh, having finally identified the other now that they were in full view, one Roman Torchwick with cane in hand and fine clothes on back. Made it hard to believe he was a simple thug.

"Again; swearing... but yes it is indeed myself" well, maybe not that simple. More like regal and professional. If theft and organised crime could be considered a profession, that is...

"Look, it's been five or so minutes, even you aren't usually this efficient. What gives?" the scoundrel questioned, eyebrow cocked and arms crossed as he fell back onto a closed trash can, leaning back against the brick wall with feet stretched out against the tarmac.

Torchwick rolled his eyes, "It's not about your having turned Hei Xiong into Hey Jude if that's what you're wondering" he chuckled into his hand like a rich prat...

Mercury didn't like that...

"So you have a job? You want something? I'm all paid up for once" he clarified with a sneer, having had his debts cleared by that oriental a month or so back as a favour. He had been sceptical at first but the boy had been surprisingly persuasive and Mercury simply had to give in to the work.

Roman suddenly looked a little uneasy but eventually settled on raising his cane so that the hidden explosives would be emptied between Mercury's eyes should the trigger be pulled. "No, no work for you but..." Roman sighed and lowered the cane, Mercury's heart still trying to recover from what he had never expected to experience. See, Roman and Mercury had a complicated relationship, but they had a mutual and respecting understanding between themselves, not once had they raised arms upon the other, regardless of how often they seemed to be at each others throats.

Roman sighed and looked back from where he had come from suspiciously, "They told me to kill you Black" he said bluntly, Mercury narrowing his eyes skeptically at the concept

"But wh-"

"Because I'm the only one of us that you aren't always on guard around" the prince of thieves interrupted, brushing some of his orange bangs aside from his vision, "They know you relax with me, so they told me to put one between your eyes the way I just nearly did" he swallowed awkwardly at the rare look of hurt upon Mercury's face, "I couldn't do it though, I'll say I killed you but you have got to go or else they're going to bring in the twins, Sustrai... Hell, you know he even has Beast on speed dial for a favour or two!" Roman grit his teeth and sneered at what he was about to say

"I can't protect you anymore Mercury, I don't know what's going on. Junior doesn't even know but it's brewing up something fierce, and he as well as I know to do what we're told even if we don't want to" he clarified, to which Mercury shook his head in disbelief

"So why didn't you?" he questioned, to which Torchwick clicked his tongue and averted his gaze

"Leave Black, I don't want to see you ever again!" he shouted angrily, a tone seldom if ever heard emanating from the prince of all thieves, far beneath what he acclaims to be.

Mercury stood in place for a few moments more before he steeled his resolve, realising just what Torchwick was putting at stake here...

He grit his teeth and dug his greaves into the paved floor, turning on his heel and not ever looking back to Torchwick as he ran, nothing but the sound of the cities hustle and bustle as he left behind his only companion.

His first and only friend...

* * *

Jaune hummed to himself as he and the Lotus boy continued to move through the town, Red and Yellow lagging behind to check through some beauty stores, mostly having the former being dragged by the latter until they came across the weaponsmith...

Roles were reversed...

"So when do we get to meet this other... dude?" he started, breaking the surprisingly comfortable silence between the two.

The Easterner turned around, continuing to amaze Jaune with how much wisdom his eyes seemed to contain despite his young and meagre age. "We will meet the other 'dude' in about a week or so if he sticks to the schedule" he informed in a voice as smooth as silk, clearly quite the talker. It wouldn't surprise Jaune to see this guy leading crowds in rally's should he ever feel like it...

Ren then turned his eyes back before him, weaving through the crowds with perfect precision and execution, Jaune following suit, moving surprisingly swiftly for a man of such stature, far unlike Ren's lithe, nimble frame.

"It seems he ignored schedule..." Jaune heard the magenta-eyes boy mumble, then following his gaze to find a boy in silver and grey batting away patrons with impressive precision despite his alcoholically influenced state, his stupor shining through when he stumbled forward into one man before raising his other leg in an instant to impact one poor sod in the chin with the back of his heel, completing a full flip before wrapping his ankles around another mans head and using his hands to manoeuvre his weight about to send the man flying into the heavy wooden doors of the nearby town hall.

Jaune was impressed to say the least, not every day you got to see a man blitzed off of his face but still kicking ass like it were his day job, sending men this way and that, even a few of the rowdier women, though he put them down more delicately it seemed, bar the last one who managed to land a heeled shoe against his stomach, having him lurch forward in attempt to keep his stomachs contents from resurfacing. On his knees gagging with said woman stood over him with all of the finesse and stature of a model.

"You're disturbing my shopping time..." came a surprisingly scary voice from the brown-clad girl, dressed in finest garb and with shades, beret and leather purse to match. Clearly the epitome of fashion sense. "Listen here..." he leant forward and brought her shades far enough down so that Mercury could fearfully look her in the eye, chocolate brown orbs greeting the grey of his own, "You do not want to piss me off, hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned as they say, and I am one whole lot of woman" she purred, both sensually and terrifyingly, Jaune having to swallow back a blush at her tone, then watching her walk his way as she left the Taekwondo guy quivering on the floor with nary a backwards glance.

He almost squeaked when she stopped beside him with a small smile, lowering her shades to wink at him before gently tapping his butt as she passed by, not a word shared between them.

Ren simply watched all of this occur with calculating eyes, "A little star struck are we?" he questioned, to which Jaune blinked in confusion, earning another sigh from the clearly more intelligent of the two. "Coco, daughter of Mocha of Silverstone designers?" he put forward, trying to elicit something from the confused knight, "Best quality designers in all of Vytal?" he then sighed and saw this was going no where, "She is rich and famous, also training to become a huntress and a hell of one at that..." he relented, hearing a cry of horror emerge from Mercury's position in the distance at this revelation.

Jaune finally got an essence of understanding at Ren's dissection of her standing. Rich, powerful... got it! He got touched by a celebrity...! he thought awkwardly

Mercury breathed in technique to calm his aching stomach as he finally rose and waddled over to them, gaining some semblance of self awareness now that he had experienced raw and uncomfortable pain.

Ren cocked a brow at Mercury and rolled his eyes, "Nice of you to join us, only six days ahead of the aforementioned date but still I suppose it's better than not at all..." he reasoned, weighing the pros and cons of having the scoundrel with him in a city under his care... he may have to deal with the thievery and brawls but... at least he was like repellent to Tukson, it was admittedly amusing to observe the twos interactions from Ren's perspective.

Mercury hiccupped slightly and raised a hand, "I'm on the run man..." he mumbled, the stench of god knows how many alcoholic concoctions now lingering in the air, having Jaune and Ren both wrinkling their noses in disgust. "Crazy people with crazy gun... sword things..." he blinked and went wide eyed, "It's weird! They're like swords and spears and shit but it's also a gun!" he said in amazement, stumbling forward awkwardly only to be captured by Jaune swiftly

"Easy big guy" he chuckled kindly, to which Mercury simply watched him with amazement

"I think... in another world, you were a woman... and like, burned alive or something..." he mumbled through slurred tones, "I'm so sorry man..." he mumbled, leaving a very worried and frankly terrified Jaune as he stumbled about three more steps before falling down to kiss planet Earth in his sleep.

Ren watched on with a grimace as Ruby and Yang walked over with some fresh new clothes and gear, smiles fading to startled expressions at the sight of the fallen man. "Woah! Who is that guy and why does he smell like a brewery?" Yang asked with uncertainty clear on her face, Ruby tilting her head in confusion at the sight but keeping clear behind her sister, staying free of vomit radius, not wanting anybody to dirty the hood...

Ren pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he turned to see Jaune still having an existential crisis over the drunk mans words that hit home far more than they should've for reasons he couldn't even fathom. He then looked at the girls keeping clear of the guy fallen on the floor as if he carried the plague and then allowed his eyes to settle on said man, watching him mumble in his sleep about running away or something...

It was at this point in time that Ren allowed his palm to meet his palm violently, for these were the people chosen to potentially save mankind...

They may need some work...

* * *

**Done!**

**I'm struggling to come up with roles honestly, so I want to refrain from using OC's but I may place a few in minor roles or as enemies here or there if need be but they won't interfere with the storyline so you need not worry.**

**I found that this is more filler than anything, thus the humour. The serious stuff will be coming soon once anybody actually learns Mercury's name and they all head off to do what they set out to.**

**There will be fights, and I will be playing around with peoples actual positions in canon as well as their power to make things more suitable, but I'll still be keeping it as interesting as I can.**

**I also want to leave a few sentences here in memory of Monty Oum, a great man who did more than most would or could. He was a man amongst men and has inspired me greatly since I had learnt of him, having known of him since his first official introduction in Red vs Blue, having been a fan of anything RoosterTeeth for a long while now. His work is what inspired me to go to college and strive to become greater in hopes of becoming even remotely as amazing as he.**

**I say I miss him and yet I never met the man, I can only imagine how his wife, family and friends must feel and my heart goes out to them.**

**RIP Monty**

**Anyway... I'll be back soon so...**

**Au Revoir for now Readers! ^^**


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